New Lenox purchases radar message board to warn speeders

Part of the answer lies in a piece of equipment recently purchased by the New Lenox Police Department.

The equipment is described as a radar trailer message board that electronically records the speed at which vehicles are traveling, the number of cars that pass the unit, and the time at which they pass, according to Deputy Police Chief April DiSandro.

The tracking device can serve as a "wake-up call" to speeding motorists to reduce their own speed or it can aid police in making decisions about where to place squad cars.

When the village board approved the $12,000 purchase in late August, the old equipment was tracking the speed of northbound cars on U.S. Route 30 near a McDonald's restaurant, she said.

The decision to place it there came after complaints of speeding cars by business people in the area, DiSandro said. Police use the data to "focus their efforts" and decide whether to place a squad car with a police officer and radar to issue warnings tickets or citations to speeders.

"I believe this definitely is an effective tool," DiSandro said. Police rely on the unit to make decisions about traffic enforcement.

Village Trustee Nancy Dye said members of the village board supported the purchase unanimously. She said the radar device can remind people to check their own speed, particularly when it is placed in a residential area.

The purchase, she said, "seemed like something we needed to do." The new unit is expected to be delivered in about one month.